Milky Way Turbulence Reveals Hidden Structure in Distant Light
Astronomers using the VLBA tracked the quasar TXS 2005+403, 10 billion light-years away, as its radio waves were bent by turbulence in the Milky Way's ionized gas. The study finds persistent, patchy distortions rather than simple blur, providing a new probe of the Galaxy’s interstellar medium and informing models of star formation and cosmic-ray propagation.